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Ten years on, we still regard this tour as one of the best ever value for money holiday experiences! We paid just $10 for a full and fascinating day out, with lunch and snacks also included (see my “Restaurant” tip).
Setting off straight after breakfast in one of the local “dala-dala” trucks traditionally used as public transport on the island, our group of about ten soon found ourselves joined by what we thought were the guide’s pals hitching a lift but who turned out to be additional guides whose main role seemed to be to spot things we might like to eat! So we stopped several times before even reaching the plantations for them to buy cassava chips and other local delicacies.
The tour included short walks in several spice plantations, where our guide Mohammed introduced us to a wide range of fruits and spices grown on the island. Touching, smelling and tasting were all encouraged! Among those we saw and/or sampled were:
~ cassava (hence the purchase of chips, so we could taste them in another form)
~ breadfruit
~ cocoa
~ jack fruit
~ custard apple
~ cardamom
~ cinnamon
~ cloves
~ turmeric
~ ginger
~ ylang ylang
~ peppercorns
~ lemon grass
and more!
We were accompanied on our walks by several young boys who expertly wove palm leaves into hats and baskets (the latter intended to carry the several samples we were acquiring along the route) and sold these to tourists for a few pennies. At one point we stopped at a roadside stall to drink coffee and eat doughnuts and pineapple, and another stop was made to see the (apparently) famous twisted palm tree (see photo 5).
After a delicious though simple lunch of vegetable curry in a village house we continued to Mangapwani Beach where we spent the rest of the afternoon – see my next tip for more ... Directions: We booked our tour at the Africa House Hotel, but you’ll find them on offer everywhere in Stone Town
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 tiny isles and atols by sachara
A favourite island to visit from Stone Town is the Prison Island or Changuu Island. In the past there was a prison on this island, though never used. Today you can see only its ruins. You can easily go there for a daytrip. At the island is a bar and restaurant. Leave a Comment Directions: Most of the islands are opposite the westcoast near Stone Town.
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 land crab by sachara
It's a rather small park. We saw snakes, pythons, iguanas, chameleons, but also bushbabies, rabbits and a dikdik. At the moment of our visit a cobra was brought in, just catched in the bush. He was really angry.
Entrance fee:2500 Tsh Leave a Comment Directions: Kizimkani Road, 5,5 KM south of the Jozani Forest.
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 coast near Kizimkazi Dimbani by sachara
From the restaurant we had to walk along the beach of the sheltered bay with dozens of the local canoes or ngalawas. Arriving at a shady place with overhanging bushes, we had to wait till our boat was ready. A lot of tiny crabs were running everywhere around our feet. Leave a Comment Directions: South coast of Unguja, 53 KM south of Stone Town.
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 Ali T our Tour Guide by ZanzibargirlLeave a Comment
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 Kidichi Persian Baths by SanguiniALeave a Comment Directions: Situated around 14km away from Stone Town
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No visit to Jozani Forrest would be complete without a tour of the Chwaka Bay Mangrove Swamp across the road. Mangroves are strange trees that have intricate root systems above the ground that actually hold the tree up. Because the swamp is in ‘brackish water’, a mixture of sea salt water and fresh, the Mangroves grow as an extension of a mother tree. The seeds cannot grow in the water, so it must use this unique process to reproduce.
The whole area is lined with infinitely long boardwalks that take you through the grove. Small black crabs scurry underneath and eat the broad Mangrove leaves that fall down to where they are. Occasional birds, fish and the odd Colobus or Blue Monkey are also seen.
Just inside the Mangrove Swamp is a plaque that celebrates the agreement between 8 local villages and the Government not to kill the Colobus Monkeys. The villages are: Chwaka, Pongwe, Uroa, Marumbi, Mapopwe, Charawe, Ukongoroni and Michamvi. The Colobus are destructive to trees in their eating habits. Locals used to kill them and they almost made them extinct. The Government agreed to pay the 8 villages not to kill them and the agreement has held. Leave a Comment
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The Palace Museum is also known as Beit el-Sahel. This palace served as the Sultan's residence until 1964 when the Al-Busaid Dynasty was overthrown. It is now a museum devoted to the era of the Zanzibar sultanate. The interior is suitably grand and many (but not all) of the last Sultan’s possessions are on display. Some of the displays are possessions of Princess Sayyida Salme. She created quite a stir when she eloped with a German businessman, Wilhelm Ruete. They settled in Hamburg Germany and had 3 children. She did return to Zanzibar twice and wrote her memoirs later in life.
The building has exhibits on 3 levels and the top floor contains the living quarters of the last Sultan, Khalifa bin Haroub (1911-60), and his two wives.
Outside in the grounds is the Makusurani graveyard, where some of the Sultans are buried.
OPENING HOURS:
Tuesdays - Thursdays 9.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m.
Sundays & some Public Holidays: 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m.
Mondays & most Public Holidays: CLOSED Leave a Comment
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The House of Wonders is a very large square building with several stories that is open in the middle. Each level has a series of pillars and balconies, and topped by a large clock tower. Locals called it Beit el Ajaib, meaning the House of Wonders because it was the first building in Zanzibar to have electric lighting and the first in Eat Africa to have an elevator. It was built in 1883 as a ceremonial palace for Sultan Barghash on the site of Zanzibar Queen Fatuma's residence. It was damaged in 1896 during the shortest war in history (40 minutes) between Britain and Zanzibar. A clock tower nearby had been completely destroyed in the battle, so a new clock tower was incorporated into the House of Wonders when it was repaired.
It was used by colonial officials as offices until the revolution in 1964. It is now a national museum and downstairs is a replica of a Mtepe: a traditional Swahili boat. Several rooms on different floors tell you about some of the history and blends of culture that have shaped Zanzibar.
If you climb to the top and go outside onto the veranda, you will be rewarded with the best view of Stone Town and the port of Zanzibar. You can see the Arab Fort next door, both Cathedrals, Forodhani Gardens, the Port and several nearby islands. Definitely worth a visit. Leave a Comment
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 Old Dispensary by sachara
At one street you can see the Indian, Arab, African and European influences on the culture and architecture. You can visit all the mentioned buildings. They turned into interesting museums or Cultural Centres.
For more information have a look at my Zanzibar Town page. Leave a Comment Address: Mizingani Road, Stone Town
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